Kate Kay
Kate is currently Chair of Horsley Parish Council, where she has been a councillor for the past 12 years. During that time, she has been involved in many local campaigns and initiatives, including supporting the village shop, creating a new play area and improving the village hub.
She was also involved in setting up the Horsley Hope Talks last year: a series of talks about topics including biodiversity and the climate crisis.
Kate’s work on the Parish Council has given her extensive experience in running meetings and a deep knowledge of local government.
She says: “My love for my community, my skills in leading and speaking in meetings, my problem-solving abilities; my life of activism, love of the natural world and experience of farming will all be valuable as a district councillor, as will my commitment to public service and belief that you can achieve miracles at a local level.”
Kate was once active in the Labour Party, including roles as branch Secretary and Chair of Stroud Constituency Labour Party. But she left Labour five years ago after losing confidence in its willingness to work collaboratively with others.
The death in December 2023 of her husband, Norman Kay, a longstanding Green district councillor, propelled her into joining the Green Party so that she can continue his work as district councillor for Nailsworth ward.
She has lived in Horsley for 40 years and loves the independence and creativity of the people who live in Stroud District.
In an ideal world, she would like to see united action to deal with the climate crisis, and locally she aims to help SDC continue its work dealing with the housing crisis, protecting our natural environment, supporting local communities and improving resilience – all with a clear focus on equality and justice.
She says: “I want to be a voice for my community and to help SDC become an exemplar council in working on the climate crisis.”
A former solicitor, Kate more recently worked in local government for 20 years. After retiring, she gained BA and MA degrees in Fine Art, with glass being her favourite artistic medium.
She loves horses, has been keeping rare-breed sheep for 40 years and has campaigned to protect rare-breed farm animals, serving as a trustee for the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Kate worked for many years for Women’s Aid, has been active in Extinction Rebellion locally and acted as a legal observer in some of XR’s London actions.
She has also in the past been a trustee for the Subscription Rooms and for a Gloucester-based arts and theatre organisation.
Rod Nelson
Rod is standing for election because he enjoys meeting people and talking to them about their concerns and opinions, and because he would like to translate his longstanding commitment to the Green cause to positive action locally.
An artist and woodblock printmaker, Rod has lived in Stroud District since the late 1980s and likes the area for its diversity and tolerance. He says: “It is a self-aware place where people think globally and act locally to promote kindness, responsibility and equality. If I am elected, it will be my chance to help strengthen these attributes even further.”
Personal skills that he thinks will be valuable as a councillor include the ability to express himself clearly, organise change, and stay calm under pressure.
If elected, Rod will support the council in its ongoing programme of retrofitting homes to improve their insulation and energy efficiency. “My wish is that every house and every building in Nailsworth should have good insulation or at least plans in place to improve their thermal efficiency,” he says.
Rod has been committed to the Green agenda for many years and has seen it grow consistently in relevance, importance, desperate urgency and public acceptance. He adds: “At the same time, I have watched the two major parties in the UK conspire in what I can only see as a jointly operated and determined suppression of our rightful place in the political fabric.
“The purpose of the outcomes we are trying to achieve are beyond party politics. If we are constantly mired in confrontation, there is a danger that we become less focused and less intelligent and drain our energies away from the urgency that the climate emergency requires.”
Nailsworth has 3 seats
Nailsworth has 3 seats, so in addition to Kate and Rod, you are also able to vote for to the fantastic Rosie Thresher!